<p>So, I'm taking the ACT in October, and I could use some tips on how to get from a 31-33 range on reading and science to a 35-36 range. I'm in the 35-36 range for math and english, but it is hard for me to be completely focused during these other two parts, and I'm always running out of time at the end, or just barely making it in time. I took the june one and got a 32 reading, 32 science (35 E, 36 M), and a practice test today and got 33 r, 33 s (36 E, 35 M).</p>
<p>What are good strategies to get the reading and science done in time, with time to check your work? I really wanna get a 35 on this, and that means I've got to get a 34 or above on at least one of these sections! Thank you to anyone who will help!</p>
<p>I pulled my reading and science from a 25 and 26 respectively (I think from April) to a 34 and 35 on the September one that just got released. Had a really ****ty proctor who was talking and didn’t give 5 minute warnings, but I still probably wouldn’t have broken 32 on either of the two last time. Here are my strategies.</p>
<p>Reading: Circle EVERYTHING that looks like it could be relevant. Especially in the prose, pay a lot of attention to the characters. Speed read as well as you can, and try to read each passage in 3 minutes, and answer each one in about 5. Don’t let yourself take more than 8 minutes per passage; even if you have make cursory guesses, do it. It’s better to make educated guesses in the middle and have time to check, than to run out of time and have to bubble in everything randomly at the end. Always answer the question about the author’s viewpoint, or the main ideas last because the other questions will help it all come together. You should have a couple minutes left at the end to check.</p>
<p>Science: This is going to sound weird, but I read everything. Skim over the text as fast as you can (20-30 sec per passage), and go to the passages. Sometimes there are little things that you need to know in the text (for example, the last ACT had a passage on Ohm’s law, which I knew literally nothing about), so circle those if anything catches your eyes. Spend no more than 5 minutes per passage; similar to reading as you want to have time to check, but also because the conflicting viewpoints one can take a few minutes longer. If you do it right you should have a little time at the end to check.</p>
<p>Don’t practice, you’ll just make the test seem more intimidating. Study for 2-3 hours at most for this exam. I made the SAT a really intimidating thing and I couldn’t break 2100. I took this without studying (as its knowledge based) and pulled a 34.</p>
<p>Shrapnel, thank you!! That’s really helpful, and congrats on raising your score so much!</p>
<p>Sillyup, I kinda disagree with you, I think studying will be helpful, at least for getting my speed up and giving myself a strategy to get me past a 34. I kinda like studying too, I studied for the SAT and it made me more confident for it (got a 2300).</p>
<p>In the Science section (except the Conflicting Viewpoints passage), I only skim lengthy text very quickly. Then I move to the graphs/tables, skim quickly, and directly get to the questions. This worked for me (and it’s Princeton Review’s strategy, if you want to check it out).</p>
<p>sillyup, I know that seems kinda pointless to retake the act after getting a 2300, but the thing is that all of my colleges require subject tests or the act, and I’m not confident in my subject tests so I want to get a really good act score.</p>
<p>midnightdreary and nobuta, thanks! I think I’ll try the non-reading/skimming way on a practice test and see what I get!</p>
<p>Yay, I did a practice test today and got a 36 R/35 S, which seemed like a miracle but I hope it happens again on the real thing! I just read the passage for the reading and got lucky I guess, and went straight to the questions for science. If I can get this lucky for real, I’ll have a 35 composite/36 superscore.</p>